34 y. ago The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12

The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12  Newspapers.com

Politics

2 h. ago China must stay focused on ‘own work’ despite external challenges, Xi says

During the preparatory period for China’s next five-year plan, President Xi Jinping stressed the country needed to stick to its strategy of “focusing on doing its own work” and seizing the initiative amid an uncertain external environment, according to a report by the state-run news agency Xinhua. The comments, which Xi originally made during a symposium in August, were published on Friday, the day after the conclusion of the fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, where...

Politics

2 h. ago What killed hundreds of seals? Bird flu spread raises fears, questions

Bird flu is spreading rapidly in Europe, with the highest number of countries in at least a decade reporting early outbreaks, raising concerns about a repeat of past crises that led to the culling of tens of millions of birds and higher food prices. Meanwhile, Australian scientists have found hundreds of dead seal pups on Heard Island in the sub-Antarctic with signs that suggest they were killed by bird flu, authorities said on Friday. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly...

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3 h. ago ‘Rape, sexual violence’: women in Australia’s military sue government

Women in Australia’s defence forces (ADF) launched a class-action lawsuit on Friday alleging widespread and systematic sexual violence, harassment and discrimination. The case was served against the Australian government on behalf of women subjected to abuse at any time in a 21-year period between November 2003 and May 2025. “The threat of war often isn’t the biggest safety fear for female ADF personnel; it is the threat of sexual violence in their workplace,” said lawyer Josh Aylward of legal...

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4 h. ago Hong Kong teen among 7 arrested over alleged razor blade intimidation letters

Hong Kong police have arrested seven individuals including a 13-year-old boy, linked to an online group known for filming controversial public stunts, on suspicion of criminal intimidation after three victims reported receiving razor blades in the post. The force said on Friday that the suspects, aged between 13 and 36, had been held on suspicion of criminal intimidation, acts outraging public decency and disorderly conduct in a public place. Between October 15 and 22, police said it received...

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6 h. ago China and US must halt escalating weaponisation of trade, Chinese scholar urges

China and the United States should refrain from weaponising more aspects of their relationship, a Chinese scholar has urged, as the world’s two largest economies prepare to hold a fresh round of negotiations to cool down a recent flare-up in tensions. “It’s very important that the two sides need to have some kind of self-restraint,” said Da Wei, director of Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, at the Bund Summit in Shanghai on Thursday. “Stop trying to find new...

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7 h. ago Australia Team vs. People's Republic of China Team Day Two Results: 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown

Australia Team vs. People's Republic of China Team Day Two Results: 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown  LPGA

Politics

7 h. ago Plane wreckage removal to take 2 days, probe up to a year: Hong Kong experts

Securing and removing the cargo plane that crashed after veering off its path at Hong Kong’s airport and killing two security workers will take at least two days, while investigations into the accident are expected to last up to a year, aviation experts have said. Louis Szeto Ka-sing, a specialist in vessel design and maintenance, said on Friday that the first step in salvaging the cargo plane was to determine whether the two halves of the aircraft remained partially connected underwater. He...

Politics

8 h. ago ‘We’re just going to kill them’: Trump vows to escalate drug war to land targets

US President Donald Trump has said that “the land is going to be next” in his campaign to halt the flow of drugs into the US from Venezuela, the clearest indication yet that he was preparing to broaden strikes that have so far been limited to targets at sea. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump directed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to notify Congress of the administration’s plans. He did not discuss targets, though, he has repeatedly suggested he could order the US...

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15 h. ago EU takes timid step towards using Russian assets for Ukraine

European Union leaders on Thursday tasked the European Commission to move ahead with proposals to fund Ukraine for the next two years, leaving the door open for a mammoth loan funded by frozen Russian assets, diplomats told Agence France-Presse. In broadly worded conclusions adopted after marathon talks in Brussels, EU leaders stopped short of giving the green light to plans for the €140 billion (US$162 billion) “reparations loan” – pushing that crunch decision to December. But several diplomats...

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15 h. ago EU takes tentative step toward using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine

EU leaders Thursday tasked the European Commission to move ahead with options for funding Ukraine for two more years, leaving the door open for a mammoth loan using frozen Russian assets. In broadly-worded conclusions adopted after marathon talks in Brussels, EU leaders stopped short of greenlighting plans for the €140 billion (US$162 billion) “reparations loan” - pushing that crunch decision to December. But diplomats said the text was a step towards a potential agreement - though it was...

Events

21 h. ago Grains Rally as Trump Touts China Deal: Cattle Try to Recover as U.S. Prepares to Buy Argentina Beef

Grains Rally as Trump Touts China Deal: Cattle Try to Recover as U.S. Prepares to Buy Argentina Beef  AgWeb

Politics

23 h. ago Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Earthquake mania grips Philippines as fears mount

A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness. Analysts say the anxious public reaction – from mass hysteria in schools to viral conspiracy theories about “The Big One” – underscores a pressing need for better science communication and coordination between government agencies, especially in a country highly exposed to...

Politics

27 h. ago China Future Tech webinar | Behind Nexperia crisis and China

The recent intervention by the Dutch government to seize control of Nexperia, citing the rarely-used “Goods Availability Act”, last invoked during the Cold War, has ignited a significant escalation in tensions with Beijing. This exceptional move sparked immediate retaliation from Beijing, which imposed export controls on Nexperia’s China operations, escalating the global tech decoupling crisis. To get to the heart of the matter, SCMP is hosting the webinar “Behind the Nexperia crisis and...

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28 h. ago Singapore urges cooperation against cyber threats to protect developing nations

Global cooperation is needed to help smaller and developing nations defend themselves against cyber threats, Singapore has warned, stressing that cybersecurity is “only as strong as its weakest link”. Speaking on Thursday at the Singapore International Cyber Week – a week‑long gathering of global policymakers, industry leaders and cybersecurity experts to address digital governance and threat preparedness – Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said states with fewer resources remained the most...

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32 h. ago As China’s fourth plenum wraps, editorial hails system as anchor of stability

As China prepares to unveil its next five-year plan on Thursday, the mouthpiece of the country’s ruling Communist Party has styled the nation’s socialist system as a source of strength that powers the development of the vast Chinese economy and provides stability to the global economy. In an editorial published on Thursday morning, People’s Daily said that China’s five-year plans provided clear direction and predictability amid global uncertainty, with the country estimated to have contributed...

Politics

34 h. ago Hong Kong airport closes runway as clearing of plane crash wreckage set to begin

Hong Kong airport’s north runway has been temporarily closed as two salvage vessels with an 80-member crew are set to arrive in the city to lift a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two people. The Airport Authority said that the north runway would be closed starting from 8am on Thursday, with the operation to salvage the aircraft, which broke into two sections, expected to “last for a few days”. “With the support of Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, Chu Kong Passenger Transport...

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34 h. ago Hong Kong airport closes runway as salvage vessels arrive to clear wrecked plane

Hong Kong airport’s north runway has been temporarily closed as two salvage vessels with an 80-member crew have arrived to lift a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two security workers. The Airport Authority said that the north runway had been closed from 8am on Thursday, with the operation to salvage the aircraft, which ended up in the sea and broke into two sections, expected to “last for a few days”. A source said that police questioned the aircraft’s four Turkish crew...

Politics

37 h. ago New Phnom Penh airport opens with fanfare as Cambodia touts regional, China ties

With an eye to transforming Cambodia into a Southeast Asian travel and cargo hub, a new US$2.3 billion airport – developed by a venture affiliated with one of the country’s wealthiest men – was opened at a grand ceremony near Phnom Penh, where officials and business leaders praised the project for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening links with Hong Kong and mainland China. Techo International Airport (TIA), which has replaced the Cambodian capital’s previous facility, has been forecast...

Politics

46 h. ago Australia vs China: Dispute over ‘unsafe’ military aircraft interaction

Australia vs China: Dispute over ‘unsafe’ military aircraft interaction  AeroTime

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